Device for applying punch tags



Feb. 14, 1961 R. w. PHILLIPS 2,971,306

DEVICE FOR APPLYING PUNCH TAGS Filed Aug. 24, 1959 E WW 2 Sheets-Sheet 1RONALDW. PHILLIPS INVENTOR PATENT AGENT Feb. 14, 1961 R. w. PHILLIPS,971,306

DEVICE FOR APPLYING PUNCH TAGS 7 Filed Aug. 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2RONALD W. PHILLIPS INVENTOR BY Mm:

PATENT AGENT 2,971,306 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 DEVICE FOR APPLYING PUNCHTAGS Ronald W. Phillips, Lakeview, Ontario, Canada, assignor to St.Lawrence Starch Company Limited, Port Credit, Ontario, Canada Filed Aug.24, 1959, so. No. 835,678

9 Claims. (21. 53-137 This invention relates to a mechanism for feedingand delivering objects, and in particular it relates to a mechanism forfeeding and applying flat punched objects over the necks of a series ofcontainers.

A particular object of this invention is to provide means to applypunched tags over the necks of a series of containers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple and easilyconstructed mechanism which will retain a stack of punched discs andremove a punched disc from the stack of discs and place it over the neckof a container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel arrangement ofa transferring means which retains a stack of punched tags, removes onetag at a time and positions it so that it falls over the neck of acontainer passing beneath it.

Further objects of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in theart from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of an apparatus embodying myinvention showing the apparatus with a full magazine and in oneoperating position.

Figure 2 is a similar perspective view showing the apparatus with apartly filled magazine and with the mechanism in another operatingposition.

Figure 3 is a schematic view of an apparatus embodying my invention withthe mechanism in position to withdraw a punched disc or tag from themagazine, and

Figure 4 is a schematic view of the apparatus of Figure 3 but with themechanism in position to place a disc or tag on the neck of a container.

Briefly, my invention comprises a magazine which retains a stack of fiatpunched objects, such as discs or tags, and a moveable arm having aprimary suction device at the end which removes one of the punchedobjects at a time from the bottom of the stack and transfers it to aposition over a series of moving containers. The suction is removed fromthe primary suction device, and suction is applied to a smallersecondary suction device in another arm. The secondary suction deviceholds the punched object at such an angle over the moving containersthat the neck of a container catches the punched portion, pulling itfrom the secondary suction device, and permitting it to fall over theneck of the container.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, I have shown in Figure 1 aseries of containers 10, each having a neck portion 11. The containersare spaced on a moving belt 12 which is supported by rollers 14 or othersupporting and/or driving means. The belt 12, which moves in thedirection indicated by the arrow, may have stops 15 to position thecontainers 10 at a desired spacing. The stops 15 are, however, notnecessary to the invention.

A magazine 16 is located above the belt 12. Magazine 16 is shown havingfour guide members 18, 19, 20 and 21 which surround a stack of flatpunched objects 22. The objects 22 may, of course, be of any shaperequired for the container 10 and it may be of any suitable material.The objects 22 are shown in the drawings as washer-shaped tags and theywill be referred to hereinafter simply as tags.

At least two of the guide members 18, 19, 2t) and 21 have a retainingmeans which may be only a small projection at the bottom ends thereof.This retaining means may, of course, be adjustable and is shown inFigure 3 as adjustable retaining means 24, 25 and 26. The retainingmeans may include a spring device, or it may rely on the spring inherentin the guide members which are secured only at their mid-portion by aband 28. There should be sufficient spring action to permit a tag 22 tobe withdrawn from the bottom of the stack, but to return the retainingmeans to the normal position immediately after the tag 22 is withdrawnpast them. This permits only one tag to be removed from the bottom ofthe stack at a time.

The manner in which the magazine to may be refilled with a fresh supplyof tags 22 is best explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Besideshaving guide members 18, 19, 20 and 21, the magazine 16 has a removeablerod 17, supported at its upper end by a bracket 23. The rod 17 does notextend all the way to the bottom of theguide members but ends a shortdistance above the ends of the guide members 18, 19, 20 and 21. That is,it ends a short distance above the retaining means 24, 25 and 26. As thepunched tags 22 are used and the level of the remaining supply falls,the supply of tags may be conveniently replenished without interruptingthe operation of the machine. The rod 17 may be removed and a new supplyof the tags placed on the rod, that is, the rod 17 is inserted in thepunched portion of the tags 22. The rod with the tags on it may noweasily be placed in the magazine 16 with therod 17 positioned on thebracket 23 as before.

To time the operation of my device I provide a feeler arm 30 which issecured at the end to a shaft 31. Shaft 31 is free to rotate in bearingmembers 32 and 33, and an arm 34 at the top end of shaft 31 is connectedthrough a linkage shown generally as 35, to a control unit 40. Thelinkage 35, or the shaft 31, is biased in some manner so that the freeend of the fecler arm 30 is pressed towards the containers 10. As thecontainers move on belt 12 past the feeler arm 39, the arm 30 is movedeach time a container passes. The movement of arm 30 provides a signalor input to the control unit 40.

The control unit as has a hydraulic line 41 to supply an operating fluidto the control and to the mechanism itself. It will be obvious thateither a liquid or a gas medium may be used to operate the hydraulicapparatus described, and it will also be obvious that an equivalentelectrically operated apparatus could be used. Hydraulic lines 42 and 43carry the operating fluid from the control unit 49 to an actuatingmechanism 44. The operation of the control unit 4% and actuatingmechanism 44 are described in more detail hereinafter and the operationis mentioned only briefly at this time. The actuating mechanism 44serves to move the connecting member 45 upwards and downwards. Amoveable arm 47, which is pivoted at 48, is connected at one end by asliding pivot to the lower end of member 45. The other end of arm 47 hastwo hollow branched portions 48 and 49 with cup-shaped ends. Only one ofthe cup-shaped ends of hollow portions 48 and 49 can be seen in Figures1 and 2, and this is designated 50. The hollow portions 48 and 49communicate with a flexible tube 52 which leads to a switching unit 53.A hollow tube member 54 also extends down from unit 53. Both theflexible tube 52 and the hollow member 54 are adapted to create asuctional force at their ends for a period of time depending on theswitching unit 53.

The switching unit 53 is actuated by a block 56 with a sloping surface57 upon which a wheel 58 rides. The block 56 is fixed to connectingmember 45, and, as the member 45 moves upwards and downwards, the wheel58 is caused to move towards or away from the member 45. One end of anarm 60 holds the wheel 58 so that it is free to rotate, and the otherend of arm 60 is pivoted at 61. The movement of, the wheel 58 istransferred from arm 60 to member 62, pivotally connected to the centreportion of arm 60, and thence to switching unit 53. Thus, it will beseen that the movement of the containers past the feeler arm 30initiates the movement of the mechanism, and the movement of themechanism operates the switching unit 53 which controls the suction usedto remove the punched objects one at a time and hold them in position.

The operation of the mechanism will now be described with particularreference to Figures 3 and 4. These figures are partly in schematic formto make it easier to describe the operation, and the apparatus shown isthus not necessarily identical in all aspects to the apparatus shown inFigures 1 and 2. In Figure 3 the containers 10 are in such a positionthat the feeler arm 38* is not in contact with any container and theoperating position is therefore the same as that of Figure 2. The shaft31' is in its unrotated or normal position. Figure 3 shows shaft 31biased in this position by spring 70 and connecting rope 71. The linkage35 is positioned so that valve 72 in control unit 40 is towards theright in Figure 3, permitting the hydraulic fluid from pump or source 73to flow through line 4-1, control unit 40; and line 42, to actuatingmechanism 44 where it forces piston 74 downwards. Piston 74 is connectedto member 45, which is also in its down-Ward position, therebypositioning arm 47 so that the cup-shaped end 50 is pressed against thebottom surface of the lowermost of the tags 22. There are, of course,two cup-shaped ends as previously described, but only one can be seen ineither Figure 3 or 4.

A vacuum pump 76 and motor 77 create a partial vacuum in a line 78leading to switching unit 53. As the plunger or valve 79 in unit 53 isin its left hand position in' Figure 3, there is also a partial vacuumin flexible tube 52, hollow tube 49 and cup-shaped end 50'. This createsa suctional force between the cup-shaped end and the lowermost or" thetags 22.

As a container 10 moves past feeler arm 30 to the position shown inFigure 4, the shaft 31 is rotated mov ing' rope '71 to the right. Thelinkage 35 transfers this movement to control unit 40' where the valve72 is mo ed towards the left. The hydraulic fluid is now directed fromline 41, through unit tit, through line 43, to the lower side of piston74 in actuating mechanism 44. The piston 74 is moved upwards, member 45is moved upwards, and moveable arm 47 is tipped on pivot 48. The arm 47carries the lowermost tag 22 on the cup-shaped end 50 past a retainingmeans 25 and 27 by spreading the retaining means and the bottom of theguide members 12 and 21 apart briefly. The tag 22 is carried downwardsand held at 'an angle to the horizontal. It should be noted that thecup-shaped ends are spaced apart sufficiently to allow the necks 11 ofcontainers 10 to pass freely between them.

As the member 45 moves upwards, the sloping surface 57 of block 56 moveswheel to the right. Member 62 and plunger or valve 79 are thereby movedto the right. This removes the suction from the cup-shaped end 50 andapplies it instead through the hollow tube 54. A light suctional holdingforce is created between the end of tube 54 and the tag 22. The tag 22remains resting on the cup-shaped end members and the end of tube 54,and is held in place by the light force created by the suction at theend of tube 54. The position in which tag 22 is held is such that theneck 11 catches the punched portion ofthe tag at the lower side vas canbe seen in Figure 4. The container moves onwards pulling the tag 22 fromthe position in which it was held. The tag 22 then falls into positionaround the neck 11.

It should be noted that the angle, at which the tag 22 is held justbefore the tag is caught by the moving neck of the container, is notcritical. It is only necessary that the neck 11 of a container 10 catchthe punched portion of the tag 22 and that the tag fall into positionover the neck.

When the container 10 passes the feeler arm 30, shaft 31 returns to itsnormal position causing mechanism 35 to move valve 72 to the right. Theactuating mechanism 44 then operates to return arm 47 to the positionshown in Figure 3 and previously described. Suction is once more appliedto the bottom of the next tag 22 in the magazine. The mechanism is nowready for the next cycle.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple mechanism to retain astack of punched tags, remove one tag at a time from the stack, andplace the tag in a position to fall over the neck of a moving container.

It is apparent that other arrangements and embodiments may be madewithout departing from the true spirit and scope of my invention andsuch embodiments of the invention as come within the scope and purviewof the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A mechanism for automatically applying punched tags over the necks ofcontainers comprising in combination with a conveyor for advancing saidcontainers in a row along a predetermined path of travel, a tag magazineadapted to receive and retain a stack of tags and to permit the tags tobe withdrawn therefrom, vacuum operated tag withdrawing means adapted towithdraw the bottom tag from said stack and to deliver it at an angle tothe horizontal in the path of said neck of said container, and vacuumoperated suction means adapted to hold said tag at said angle with alight suctional holding force, the punched portion of the tag and itsangle of position of delivery being such as to cause the neck of thecontainer to pick up the tag.

2. A mechanism for automatically applying punched tags over the necks ofa series of containers comprising in combination with a conveyor foradvancing said contain-' ers in a row along a predetermined path oftravel, an upright tag magazine with guide members at the edges of saidtags and releasable retaining means at the lower ends of said guidemembers to permit the tags to be withdraw one at a time from the bottomof said magazine, tag withdrawing means adapted to withdraw the bottomtag from said magazine and to deliver it at an angle to the horizontalagainst a rest arm in the path of the necks of said containers, saidwithdrawing'mea'ns having a first vacuum operated suction means to applya suctional force to the bottom tag while it is being withdraw anddelivered against said rest arm, and a second vacuum operated suctionmeans in said rest arm to apply a light suctional holding force to saidbottom tag when the tag is delivered against it, the punched portion ofsaid tag and its angular position being such as to cause the neck of thepassing container to pick up the tag.

3. A mechanism for automatically applying punched tags over the necks ofa series of containers comprising in combination with a conveyor foradvancing said containers in a row along a predetermined path of travel,an upright tag magazine with guide members at the edges of said tags andreleasable retaining means at the lower ends of said guide members topermit the tags to be withdrawn one at a time from the bottom of saidmagazine, tag withdrawing means adapted to withdraw the bottom tag fromsaid magazine and to deliver it at an angle to the horizontal against arest arm in the path of thenecks of said containers, said withdrawingmeans having a first vacuum operated suction means to apply aarnaoe asuctional force to the bottom tag while it is being withdrawn anddelivered against said rest arm, a second vacuum operated suction meansin said rest arm to apply a light suctional holding force of said bottomtag when the tag is delivered against it, the punched portion of saidtag and its angular position being such as to cause the neck of thepassing container to pick up the tag, and actuating means operated bythe passing of a container to control the operation of said tagwithdrawing means and to control the application of the suction to saidfirst and second vacuum operated means.

4. A mechanism for automatically applying punched tags over the necks ofa series of containers comprising in combination with a conveyor foradvancing said containers in a row along a predetermined path of travel,a tag magazine adapted to receive and retain a stack of tags and topermit the tags to be withdrawn therefrom, a movable arm adapted topress cup-shaped vacuum operated suction means which are connected to asource of a partial vacuum against the lower surface of the bottom tagin said magazine and to withdraw said tag from said stack, means to movesaid movable arm to deliver said tag into a position where it restsagainst a hollow support arm at an angle to the horizontal in the pathof said containers, and means to remove the partial vacuum from saidcup-shaped suction means and to apply said partial vacuum to said hollowsupport arm to provide a small suctional force to keep said tag inposition, the punched portion of the tag and its angular position beingsuch that the neck of the container picks up the tag which falls aroundsaid neck.

5. A mechanism for automatically applying punched tags over the necks ofa series of containers comprising in combination with a conveyor foradvancing said containers in a row along a predetermined path of travel,a tag magazine adapted to receive and retain a stack of tags and topermit the tags to be withdrawn therefrom, a movable arm adapted topress cup-shaped vacuum operated suction means which are connected to asource of a partial vacuum against the lower surface of the bottom tagin said magazine and to withdraw said tag from said stack, means to movesaid movable arm to deliver said tag into a position where it restsagainst a hollow support arm at an angle to the horizontal in the pathof said container neck, means to remove the partial vacuum from saidcup-shaped suction means and to apply said partial vacuum to said hollowsupport arm to provide a small suctional force to keep said tag inposition, the punched portion of the tag and its angular position beingsuch that the neck of the container picks up the tag which falls aroundsaid neck, and actuating means which is operated by approach of acontainer to control the operation of said movable arm and to controlapplication of the partial vacuum to the cup-shaped suction means and tosaid hollow support arm.

6. In combination, a magazine to hold a stack of punched tags, saidmagazine comprising four vertical guide members located at the edges ofsaid tags, releasable retaining means at the lower ends of said guidemembers, and a removable rod extending through the punched portion ofsaid tags, means for supporting said removable rod at its upper end at apoint above the upper ends of said guide members so that the bottom ofsaid rod is above the bottom of said magazine, a movable arm having abifurcated end, cup-shaped members located on each branch of saidbifurcated end, a hollow fixed support arm, a source of partial vacuumpressure, means to connect said cup-shaped members to said source and tomove said movable arm so that the said cupshaped members press againstthe lower surface of the bottom tag in said magazine, means to move saidmovable arm to withdraw said bottom tag past said retaining means and toposition said tag against said hollow support arm at an angle to thehorizontal, and means to connect said support arm to said source toprovide a ing substantially parallel guide members withreleasableretaimng means at the lower ends thereof, first vacuumoperated suction means, a movable arm, said movable arm being adapted topress said first vacuum operated suction means against the lower surfaceof the bottom tag in said magazine, withdraw the tag past the retainingmeans, and deliver the tag at an angle to the horizontal in the path ofthe neck of a container required to pick up the tag, and second vacuumoperated suction means adapted to hold said tag at said angle with alight suctional holding force.

8. In an apparatus for feeding punched tags, a magazine to hold a stackof said tags, said magazine comprising substantially vertical guidemembers at the edges of said tags, releasable retaining means at thelower ends of said guide members, a removable rod supported at its upperend extending through the punched portion of said tags, first vacuumoperated cup-shaped suction means, a movable arm, said movable arm beingadapted to press said first vacuum operated cup shaped suction meansagainst the lower surface of the bottom tag in said magazine, withdrawthe tag past said retaining means, and deliver the tag at an angle tothe horizontal in the path of the neck of a container required to pickup the tag, and second vacuum operated suction means adapted to holdsaid tag at said angle with a light suctional holding force.

9. In an apparatus for feeding punched objects, a magazine to hold astack of said punched objects, a movable arm having cup-shaped membersat one end, a source of pressure at a partial vacuum, a hollow fixedsupport arm, means to connect said cup-shaped members to said source andto move said movable arm to press said cup-shaped members against thelower surface of the lowermost object in said magazine, means to movesaid movable arm to withdraw said lowermost object from said magazineand to position it against said support arm at an angle to thehorizontal, and means to connect said support arm to said source toprovide a light suctional holding force and to disconnect saidcup-shaped members from said source.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,866,369 Podel July 5, 1932 2,340,639 Brinton Feb. 1, 1944

